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We study how non‐state shareholder governance affects the performance of corporate environmental, social and governance (hereinafter ESG). We select all A‐shares state‐owned listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2011 to 2020 as the research sample. We find that non‐state shareholder governance can improve the ESG ratings by improving green innovation and information transparency. Further analysis shows that non‐state shareholder governance has a significant impact on the ESG ratings of polluting industries, high degree of marketization area, and high competitive industries; the enthusiasm of non‐state shareholders to participate in shareholders' meeting has a great impact on the ESG ratings. This research enriches the influence of non‐state shareholder governance and provides channels for state‐owned enterprises to improve ESG ratings. In addition, this article has important practical significance for state‐owned enterprises to deepen reform and strengthen environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and is responsible for the second cancer‐related death globally. Many treatment regimens have been developed to cure the disease; however, life expectancy is still low. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore new selective, specific, and robust diagnosis markers for efficient early recognition of the ailment. Along with the diagnosis, the treatment's effectiveness can be determined by prognostic markers, and miRNAs are excellent tools for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. In addition, the altered expression profile of a few miRNAs promotes HCC cell migration and invasion, and selective up‐ or downregulation of these responsible genes may help mitigate the disorder. On one hand, few of the miRNAs have been found to enhance angiogenesis, a crucial step of tumor growth; on the other hand, upregulation of specific miRNAs is reported to suppress angiogenesis and resulting tumor growth of HCC cells. Exosomal miRNAs have significant implications in promoting angiogenesis, increased endothelial cell permeability, tube formation, and metastasis to hepatic and pulmonary tissues. miRNA also attributes to drug resistance toward chemotherapy and the prevention of autophagy also. Identifying novel miRNA and determining their differential expression in HCC tissue may serve as a potential tool for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy to enhance the life expectancy and quality of life of HCC patients. In the present review, we have summarized the recent advances in HCC‐related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the elimination of organic pollutants using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) based on peracetic acid (PAA) has drawn increasing attention due to the high oxidative potential and low byproducts. However, to explore more efficient and stable PAA‐based AOPs, there is still great room for study on the activation of PAA and degradation mechanism in the reaction process. In this study, a new PAA‐based AOP activated by metal–organic framework‐derived cobalt phosphide (CoP) and accompanied by chemiluminescence (CL) behaviour was explored. The CoP/PAA system could efficiently degrade 99.98% of RhB (20 mg L−1) within 5 min at pH 7 compared with the conventional Co3O4/PAA system (merely 17.29%), and the degradation process was matched well with the pseudo‐first‐order kinetic, and the kinetic constants was ~23.7 times higher than that of Co3O4 (0.546 min−1 for CoP vs. 0.023 min−1 for Co3O4). In the CoP/PAA/RhB process, the CL intensity was related to the concentration of 1O2, O2•– and acetyl peroxyl radicals [CH3C(O)OO• and CH3C(O)O•]. Therefore, CL analysis, combined with quenching tests and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis, was used to study the degradation mechanism in detail, and 1O2 was confirmed as the dominant contributor for the dye degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma (PLELC) is a rare and histologically distinctive subtype of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). High expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) and scarcity of druggable driver mutations raise the potential of immunotherapy for advanced PELEC. However, evidence on the clinical impact of immune‐checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remained limited and unconvincing. The present study retrospectively enrolled advanced PLELC patients who received ICIs either as up‐front or salvage therapy in SYSUCC between March 15, 2017 and March 15, 2022. The comparative efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy vs chemotherapy in the first‐line setting and chemoimmunotherapy vs ICIs monotherapy in the ≥2 line setting was investigated. A total of 96 patients were finally enrolled; 49 PLELC patients received immunotherapy plus platinum‐based chemotherapy, while 45 patients received platinum‐based chemotherapy as first‐line treatment. Patients with chemoimmunotherapy significantly obtain more survival benefits than those receiving chemotherapy (median progression‐free survival [PFS]: 15.6 vs 8.6 months, P =.0015). Additionally, patients with chemoimmunotherapy obtained more PFS benefits than those with ICIs monotherapy in the ≥2 line of therapy (median PFS: 21.7 months vs 7.8 months, P =.094). A significant correlation was observed between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and favorable treatment outcomes in patients receiving first‐line chemoimmunotherapy (median PFS: 17.8 months vs 7.6 months, P <.0001). Likewise, patients in the monocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (MLR)‐high group had significantly shorter PFS than the MLR‐low group (median PFS: 11.2 months vs not reached, P =.0009). Our study elucidated the superior efficacy of ICIs therapy, especially chemoimmunotherapy in advanced PLELC, which may provide new insight into the role of immunotherapy in advanced PLELC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper(I) halide organic‐inorganic hybrid luminescent materials have many advantages, such as diverse structure, facile synthesis, high luminescent efficiency, tunable optical performance, etc. and show a broad application prospect in energy‐saving lighting, display and other fields. However, compared with commercial rare‐earth‐metal‐based phosphors, the reported hybrids generally suffer from poor stability and low luminescent efficiency, which are the bottleneck problem of their practical application. With the aim of developing high‐performance organic‐inorganic hybrid luminescent materials, a new synthesis strategy has been reported. This strategy can systematically design and synthesis copper(I) halide ionic hybrid structures by combining the covalent bonding and ionic bonding between inorganic and organic components into one structure, and use their synergistic effect to optimizing their properties. This design method is expected to develop high‐performance organic‐inorganic hybrid luminescent materials, promote the in‐depth understanding of this field, and provide new ideas for the optimization of other types of hybrid materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daylily (Hemerocallis) is a perennial with high ornamental value. It is difficult to obtain innovative daylily germplasm by conventional crossbreeding. To enrich the genetic variation of Hemerocallis, daylily was used as male parent to cross with lycoris (Lycoris). Artificial pollination and embryo rescue were performed to overcome reproductive isolation. Cross‐compatibility and pollen germination were analysed to investigate interfamily reproductive isolation. Leaf morphological analysis and inter‐simple sequence repeat (ISSR) were performed to identify the hybrid at seedling stage. Results showed that most pollen grains failed to adhere to stigmas, and pollen tubes germinated in a disordered direction. Ten days after pollination, 77.19% of ovaries aborted. Ovaries were harvested only in 10 hybridization combinations, the fruit setting rates were 7.69%–42.86%, and the ovule numbers were 0–6.0 per ovary. One embryo developed into plantlets eventually, whose parental combination was L. aurea × H. 'My Complementary'. The hybrid was identified and exhibited both intermediate and novel characteristics of parents. This research is the first attempt to explore a protocol to obtain interfamily hybrid between daylily and lycoris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global basaltic rocks show large variations in nickel (Ni) isotopic compositions relative to peridotites. The origin of this difference remains unknown. We analyzed Ni isotopic compositions of mineral separates from seven Beiyan peridotite xenoliths and 16 nephelinites from eastern China. Spinel is isotopically heavier, and clinopyroxene is systemically lighter than coexisting olivine and orthopyroxene. An ionic model predicts that olivine, orthopyroxene, and spinel are in Ni isotopic equilibrium, whereas clinopyroxene of metasomatic origin is out of equilibrium. The nephelinites have higher Fe3+/ΣFe but lower δ60/58Ni values than the peridotites. Mantle silicate melting likely leads to enrichment of heavy Ni isotopes in melts, and, importantly, it cannot explain the negative correlation between δ60/58Ni and Fe3+/ΣFe of the nephelinites. Therefore, the light Ni isotopic signature requires the involvement of a low‐δ60/58Ni component. Sulfide is a minor Ni‐rich component in the mantle and is isotopically lighter than the silicates. The relative proportion of Ni from sulfides vs. that from silicates varies in mantle‐derived magmas, depending on the sulfur content at sulfide saturation and melting degree. Thus, low‐degree melts with high abundance of dissolved sulfides can be variably enriched in light Ni isotopes. We propose that enhanced sulfide dissolution at high oxygen fugacity is a key reason for light Ni isotopic compositions in the nephelinites. This sulfide dissolution model may also be responsible for producing the Ni isotopic variation in global mafic lithologies. When the highly oxidized, low‐degree melts react with the peridotitic region, they can impart light Ni isotopic signatures to mantle rocks. Plain Language Summary: There is scant information on why global basaltic rocks show large Ni isotopic variations relative to peridotites. We present Ni isotopic data for mineral separates from peridotite xenoliths as well as nephelinites from eastern China. The olivine, orthopyroxene, and spinel are in Ni isotopic equilibrium, whereas clinopyroxene of metasomatic origin is out of equilibrium. Compared to the normal mantle value, the nephelinites have lower Ni isotope values, which are negatively correlated with Fe3+/ΣFe. This signature cannot be produced by mantle silicate melting. Instead, the data suggest enhanced dissolution of isotopically light sulfide into the mantle melts at high oxygen fugacity. Recycling of carbonate sediments can induce incipient mantle melting and increase the oxygen fugacity. The oxidized, low‐degree melts, as represented by the nephelinites, have higher sulfur content at sulfide saturation, leading to a higher proportion of sulfide‐derived Ni in the melts, and thus lighter Ni isotopic compositions. When such melts react with the peridotitic region, they can impart light Ni isotopic signatures to mantle rocks, and potentially lead to the newly formed minerals being out of Ni isotopic equilibrium with primary ones. This sulfide dissolution model may also be responsible for producing the Ni isotopic variation in global mafic lithologies. Key Points: The clinopyroxene is enriched in lighter Ni isotopes, and is out of equilibrium with other silicate minerals due to metasomatic originThe nephelinites have lower δ60/58Ni values, because enhanced sulfide dissolution at high fo2 introduces light Ni isotopes to the meltsSulfide dissolution is an important step in producing the Ni isotopic variations observed in global mafic rocks [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of various environmental renewable energy is an important way to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Most current multisource energy harvesters are achieved by integrating several single generators with independent structures and discrete mechanisms. Here, a multisource energy harvester (MEH) is proposed which can simultaneously collect raindrop, solar, and thermal energy with coupling structure and multiplexing mechanism. The MEH uses metal to connect n‐type and p‐type silicon coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) into a π‐type structure, and then cover the ITO surface with a layer of PTFE film. With this compact and coupled configuration, the triboelectric, photovoltaic, and thermoelectric effects can all contribute to the power generation by the multiplexed function elements and communal electrodes. The average power density of the MEH can reach 4.44 mW m−2. Moreover, the power supply ability of the array MEH has been demonstrated by charging capacitors and driving electronics. This work designed a highly integrated multisource energy harvester, providing a promising solution for energy supply in complex natural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both midline catheters (MCs) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) can cause venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the prevalence associated with each is controversial. Objective: To compare the risk of VTE between MCs and PICCs with a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, the Cochrane Library and ProQuest were searched from inception to January 2020. All studies comparing the risk of VTE between MCs and PICCs were included. Selected studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Downs and Black checklist. Two authors independently assessed the literature and extracted the data. Any different opinion was resolved through third‐party consensus. Meta‐analyses were conducted to generate estimates of VTE risk in patients with MCs versus PICCs, and publication bias was evaluated with RevMan 5.3. Results: A total of 86 studies were identified. Twelve studies were recruited, involving 40,871 patients. The prevalence of VTE with MCs and PICCs was 3.97% (310/7806) and 2.29% (758/33065), respectively. Meta‐analysis showed that the prevalence of VTE with MCs was higher than that with PICCs (RR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.33–1.76, p <.00001). Subgroup analyses by age showed that the prevalence of VTE with MCs was higher than that with PICCs in the adult group (RR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.38–2.22, p <.00001), and higher than that with PICCs in the other subgroups (RR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.19–1.69, p =.0001). Subgroup analyses by nation showed that the prevalence of VTE with MCs was higher than that with PICCs (RR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.30–1.73, p <.00001) in US subgroup and higher than that with PICCs (RR=2.87, 95% CI: 1.24–6.65, p =.01) in the other nations. The sensitivity analysis shows that the results from this meta‐analysis are robust and all studies have no significant publication bias. Conclusions: This study provides the first systematic assessment of the risk of VTE between MCs and PICCs. MCs are associated with a higher risk of VTE than PICCs in all patients and adults. The findings of this study have several important implications for future practice. However, the risk of VTE between MCs and PICCs in children is unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: Molecules with long preserved magnetic moments are perceived as the smallest units for storing bytes, which could bring a new revolution for information technology. However, the rational design of such molecules remains challenging. Here two rigid adamantanol ligand based dysprosium(III) complexes ([Dy(1‐AdO)2(py)5]BPh4 ‐ 1 and [Dy(2‐AdO)2(py)5]BPh4 ‐ 2) with pentagonal‐bipyramidal coordination geometry and local D5h symmetry were successfully prepared, which display excellent single‐molecule magnet (SMM) behavior (Ueff ≈ 1835 K, TBZFC ≈ 24 K, TB100s ≈ 17 K and TBH = 23 K for 1; Ueff ≈ 1756 K, TBZFC ≈ 20 K, TB100s ≈ 16 K and TBH = 23 K for 2) due to the much weakened vibration in low energy regimes. Remarkably, the large energy barriers and high blocking temperatures for these two complexes in solid states are well preserved in solution. This is never observed in previous studies of SMMs, indicating that the adamantanol is rigid and can be introduced to make the composed molecules stable enough to maintain the solid state magnetic property in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper halide based organic–inorganic hybrid semiconductors exhibit great potential as light‐emitting materials with excellent structural variety and optical tunability. Among them, copper halide hybrid molecular compounds with discrete inorganic modules are particularly interesting due to their high quantum efficiency. However, synthesizing highly efficient blue‐emitting molecular clusters remains challenging. Here, we report a novel and facile strategy for the design and synthesis of highly luminescent copper halide hybrid structures by fabricating coordinated anionic inorganic modules in these ionic species. By using this approach, a family of strongly blue‐emitting copper halide hybrid ionic structures has been prepared with high internal quantum yields up to 98 %. Strong luminescence from the combination of ionic and covalent bonds in these compounds make them ideal candidates as alternative, rare‐earth‐element free light‐emitting materials for possible use in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular cold‐inducible RNA‐binding protein (CIRP) is a proinflammatory mediator that aggravates ischaemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI). Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) could effectively alleviate the IRI of the liver, but the underlying mechanism remains to be explored. We show that human DCD livers secreted a large amount of CIRP during static cold storage (CS), which is released into the circulation after reperfusion. The expression of CIRP was related to postoperative IL‐6 levels and liver function. In a rat model, the CIRP expression was upregulated during warm ischaemia and cold storage. Then, rat DCD livers were preserved using CS, hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) and NMP. C23, a CIRP inhibitor, was administrated in the HOPE group. Compared with CS, NMP significantly inhibited CIRP expression and decreased oxidative stress by downregulating NADPH oxidase and upregulating UCP2. NMP markedly inhibited the mitochondrial fission‐related proteins Drp‐1 and Fis‐1. Further, NMP increased the mitochondrial biogenesis‐related protein, TFAM. NMP significantly reduced inflammatory reactions and apoptosis after reperfusion, and NMP‐preserved liver tissue had higher bile secretion and ICG metabolism compared to the CS group. Moreover, C23 administration attenuated IRI in the HOPE group. Additionally, HL‐7702 cells were stimulated with rhCIRP and C23. High rhCIRP levels increased oxidative stress and apoptosis. In summary, NMP attenuates the IRI of DCD liver by inhibiting CIRP‐mediated oxidative stress and mitochondrial fission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomizer is one of the most important facilities in molten slag centrifugal granulation heat recovery system, which concerns the heat recovery rate of the system as well as the quality of slag particles. Aim to large slag flow rate in industrial application, a novel stacked rotary cup atomizer (SRCA) is proposed to achieve high‐quality centrifugal granulation performance. The authentic molten slag is adopted as working medium and the centrifugal granulation phenomena are visually investigated including the molten slag fragmentation on the surface of atomizer and the impacting of slag droplets on the water cooled wall. A film perforation fragmentation mode is found in the experiments under high slag flow rate. The granulated particle size distribution, average particle size, and slagging mass fraction produced by the atomizer are obtained. Moreover, the granulation performances of the SRCA with divergent structures are tested. The results demonstrate that the SRCA has excellent granulation performance in large slag flow rate to produce smaller particles and suppress slagging. Comparing with the typical rotary cup atomizer, the largest decrement in average particle size and slagging mass fraction for the SRCA is ascertained as 28.1% and 71.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cholangiojejunostomy (CJ) is a popular operation; however, no specific anastomotic device is available. A novel magnamosis device for CJ was developed in 2017; here, we evaluated the feasibility and safety of the device. Methods: Between January 2017 and December 2019, 23 patients who underwent CJ using a novel magnamosis device were enrolled. For the CJ: the parent magnet was placed in the proximal duct, and the purse–string suture was tightened over the rod of the parent magnet. The magnamosis device was introduced into the jejunum, and the mandrel penetrated the jejunum at the anastomotic site, before insertion into the rod of the parent magnet. After rotating the knob, the distance between two magnets was shortened enough to achieve coupling. Results: Sixteen patients (69.6%) underwent open CJ, while 7 (30.4%) underwent laparoscopic CJ; 21 patients (91.3%) underwent choledochojejunostomy, and 2 (8.7%) underwent right or left hepatic duct jejunostomy. The mean time for completion of CJ was 9.2±2.5 min; it was significantly shorter for open CJ than for the laparoscopic way (8±1.2 min vs. 11.8±2.5 min, P<0.05). Only one patient (4.3%) suffered bile leakage after operation and was cured by conservative treatment. The magnets were discharged with a postoperative duration of 66.7±47.2 days, with a 100% expulsion rate. After a median follow-up of 15 months, only one patient (4.3%) developed inflammatory anastomotic stricture. Conclusion: The novel magnamosis device is a simple, safe, and effective modality for CJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main observation and conclusion: Two chelating guanidinate‐based dysprosium(III) complexes, namely the monomeric {(Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2}2Dy(μ‐Cl)2Li(THF)2 1 and the dimeric [{(Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2}2Dy(μ‐Cl)]2 2, have been confirmed to be single‐molecule magnets. Moreover, the alteration from 1 to 2 leads to an obvious mitigated quantum tunnelling of magnetization at zero field of the hysteresis loop and much enhanced magnetic relaxation barrier (up to 312 K). 5% dilution with the yttrium(III) analogue for 2 shows no clear change for the hysteresis, indicating the single‐ion nature of the magnetic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both midline catheters (MCs) and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) can cause catheter‐related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), but the prevalence associated with each is not clear. Objective: To compare the risk of CRBSI between MCs and PICCs with a meta‐analysis. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, The Cochrane Library and ProQuest were searched. All studies comparing the risk of CRBSI between MCs and PICCs were included. Selected studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Downs and Black checklist. Two authors independently assessed the literature and extracted the data. A fixed effects model was used to generate estimates of CRBSI risk in patients with MCs versus PICCs. Publication bias was evaluated, and meta‐analyses were conducted with RevMan 5.3. Results: A total of 167 studies were identified. Ten studies were collected, involving 33,322 patients. The prevalence of CRBSI with MCs and PICCs was 0.58% (40/6,900) and 0.48% (127/26,422), respectively. Meta‐analysis showed that the prevalence of CRBSI was not significantly different between MCs and PICCs (RR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.50–1.17, p =.22). While the result showed that the prevalence of CRBSI with MCs was lower than that with PICCs (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33–0.92, p =.02) after poor‐quality studies were removed. The sensitivity analysis shows that the results from this meta‐analysis are fair in overall studies and non‐poor‐quality studies. All studies have no significant publication bias. Conclusions: This study provides the first systematic assessment of the risk of CRBSI between MCs and PICCs and provides evidence for the selection of appropriate vascular access devices for intravenous infusion therapy in nursing. The prevalence of CRBSI was not significantly different between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemia reperfusion (I/R)‐induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and serious condition. Irisin, an exercise‐induced hormone, improves mitochondrial function and reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a key regulator of ferroptosis and its inactivation aggravates renal I/R injury by inducing ROS production. However, the effect of irisin on GPX4 and I/R‐induced AKI is still unknown. To study this, male adult mice were subjected to renal I/R by occluding bilateral renal hilum for 30 min, which was followed by 24 hr reperfusion. Our results showed serum irisin levels were decreased in renal I/R mice. Irisin (250 μg/kg) treatment alleviated renal injury, downregulated inflammatory response, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced ER stress and oxidative stress after renal I/R, which were associated with upregulation of GPX4. Treated with RSL3 (a GPX4 inhibitor) abolished irisin's protective effect. Thus, irisin attenuates I/R‐induced AKI through upregulating GPX4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cataluminescence (CTL), a kind of chemiluminescence emitted at the gas–solid interface during catalytic oxidation reactions, has been developed for many decades as a novel and promising gas sensing technique. In this review, we introduce the origin, basic principles, and mechanisms of CTL sensing systems and summarize the recent advances in CTL sensing, focusing on methodologies and extended applications such as in gas selective monitoring, recognition of complex mixture, evaluation for catalytic property and use in high‐performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and gas chromatography detectors. In addition, development prospects and some challenges facing CTL‐based sensing are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liver steatosis is associated with increased ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. Our previous studies have shown that irisin, an exercise‐induced hormone, mitigates I/R injury via binding to αVβ5 integrin. However, the effect of irisin on I/R injury in steatotic liver remains unknown. Kindlin‐2 directly interacts with β integrin. We therefore suggest that irisin protects against I/R injury in steatotic liver via a kindlin‐2 dependent mechanism. To study this, hepatic steatosis was induced in male adult mice by feeding them with a 60% high‐fat diet (HFD). At 12 weeks after HFD feeding, the mice were subjected to liver ischaemia by occluding partial (70%) hepatic arterial/portal venous blood for 60 minutes, which was followed by 24 hours reperfusion. Our results showed HFD exaggerated I/R‐induced liver injury. Irisin (250 μg/kg) administration at the beginning of reperfusion attenuated liver injury, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in HFD‐fed mice. However, kindlin‐2 inhibition by RNAi eliminated irisin's direct effects on cultured hepatocytes. In conclusion, irisin attenuates I/R injury in steatotic liver via a kindlin‐2 dependent mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1950, when chemiluminescence (CL) of siloxane upon treatment with strong oxidants was discovered by Kurtz, many silicon‐based nanomaterials with different elements, specific molecules, shapes and sizes have been developed as light emitters, energy acceptors, and catalyzers to provide valuable CL and electrogenerated CL (ECL) detection platforms in analytical chemistry fields. This review mainly focuses on the recent development of their mechanisms and sensing methodologies for small molecules, free radicals, ion, enzyme, protein, DNA, cancer cells, and metabolites based on specific reactions such as aptamer sensing and enzymatic reaction. Additionally, the future trend is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute effects of irreversible electroporation (IRE) on normal common bile ducts (CBDs). Methods: Cell susceptibility to IRE was assessed in vitro with cholangiocarcinoma and normal cell lines. The electric field and temperature distributions were evaluated with a two‐dimensional simulation model of bile duct. In vivo bile duct IRE was performed in 28 adult rabbits. Results: Different cells showed different susceptibility to the effect of IRE, cancer cell line HUCC‐T1 was the least sensitive to IRE. Simulations predicted the distributions of electric field and temperature during the IRE process, and the maximum temperature of tissue was below 43℃. Complications were observed in 8/28 animals (biliary dilatation, n = 4; biliary stricture, n = 4) by postoperative days 7, 14, and 28. Histopathological analyses revealed complete cell death with bile duct wall integrity. Bile duct epithelial recovery was completed between post‐IRE days 14‐28. Conclusions: The normal CBD retains the lumen wall integrity following IRE with immediate periductal placement of the electrode. However, the risk of biliary dilatation and stricture is a reminder that the parameters of IRE need to be determined more precisely to ensure the treatment efficacy and reduce the risk of collateral damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sepsis remains a major health issue without an effective therapy. Ferroptosis, an iron‐dependent programmed cell death, has been proposed to be related to the pathogenesis of sepsis. Irisin, a myokine released during exercise, improves mitochondrial function under various conditions. Ferroptosis is closely related to mitochondrial function. However, the role of irisin in sepsis‐induced ferroptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction in the liver remained unknown. Thus, we hypothesize that irisin treatment suppresses ferroptosis and improves mitochondrial function in sepsis. Methods: To study this, we first explored the role of serum irisin levels in patients with sepsis, and then determined the effect of irisin administration on ferroptosis and mitochondrial function in the liver of septic mice. Results: Serum irisin levels were decreased and negatively correlated with the APACHE II scores in patients with sepsis. In mice subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), exogenous irisin administration suppressed ferroptosis, inhibited inflammatory response, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, restored abnormal mitochondrial morphology, and increased mtDNA copy number and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content. The effect of irisin on ferroptosis was confirmed in LPS‐treated hepatocytes and CLP‐induced septic mice. Inhibition of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a central regulator of ferroptosis, reduced irisin's protective effects in LPS‐treated hepatocytes and CLP‐induced septic mice, while blocking the irisin receptor with RGD peptide or Echistain decreased irisin‐induced GPX4 expression. Conclusions: Serum irisin levels are decreased and negatively correlated with disease severity in patients with sepsis, and irisin treatment suppresses ferroptosis and restores mitochondrial function in experimental sepsis. Irisin may offer therapeutic potential in the management of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is related to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the interplay between the virus and host immune response leads to different outcomes of the infection. PR domain zinc finger protein 1 (PRDM1) and autophagy‐related protein 5 (ATG5) are involved in immune response and HBV infection. An intergenic region between PRDM1 and ATG5 (PRDM1‐ATG5 region) has been identified, and single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this region were shown to be involved in immune regulation. This study investigated the functionally relevant rs548234, rs6937876, and rs6568431 polymorphisms at the PRDM1‐ATG5 region in a Han Chinese population (403 patients with chronic HBV infection [171 chronic hepatitis, 119 cirrhosis, and 113 HCC], 70 infection resolvers, and 196 healthy controls). The frequencies of the rs6568431 allele A in HBV patients (P =.005) and genotype CA in infection resolvers (P =.005) were significantly higher than in healthy controls. In the dominant model, HCC patients had significantly higher frequencies of rs548234 genotypes CC + TC than cirrhosis patients (P =.009). Rs548234 was an independent factor for HCC in comparison with either cirrhosis (P =.005) or all chronic HBV infection without HCC (P =.018). Functional annotation showed evidence of the role of the SNPs in gene regulation. In conclusion, through this study it is revealed for the first time that rs6568431 may be associated with susceptibility to HBV infection and that rs548234 may be associated with HCC risk in chronic HBV infection, supporting the presence of HBV‐related disease‐causing regulatory polymorphisms in the PRDM1‐ATG5 intergenic region. Highlights: SNPs in intergenic region between PRDM1 and ATG5 were examined in chronic HBV infection.rs548234 was an independent factor for HCC in patients with chronic HBV infection.rs6568431 was indicated to be potentially associated with susceptibility to HBV infection.HBV‐related disease‐causing regulatory polymorphisms may exist in PRDM1‐ATG5 intergenic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Difficulties with liver transplantation (LT)-related surgical techniques are great challenges for young surgeons. Thus, young surgeons need to undergo systematic preclinical training. However, an optimal training system for LT is still lacking. This study aims to evaluate the safety and educational value of the Magnetic Spiderman (MS) during LT-related surgical techniques training, particularly during training for the preparation of the donor's liver and vascular reconstruction. Methods: For the donor liver preparation training, the pulling force of the MS was measured using 16 porcine livers. Another 40 porcine livers were divided into two groups: MS group (used MS in the preparation of the liver) (n = 25) and manual group (took manual assistance in the preparation of the liver) (MA group, n = 15). In vascular reconstruction training, 25 pairs of porcine iliac veins were used to practice reconstruction. Five LT experts evaluated the MS for its use in LT-related surgical techniques training. Results: During the donor liver preparation training, the number of assistants required in the MS group was significantly less than the number required in the MA group (0 vs. 1.8 ± 0.1; P < 0.001). However, the number of vasculature leaking points was similar between the two groups (0.2 ± 0.1 vs. 0.4 ± 0.2; P = 0.51). In vascular reconstruction training, the trainee alone could complete the vascular reconstruction training, with a reconstruction success rate of 80% (20/25). All five experts considered the MS a viable alternative to assistants, with the ability to facilitate single surgeon training for LT. Four out of five (80%) experts considered MS quite safe for surgery and effective at keeping the surgical field clear. Conclusion: MS can reduce the number of assistants to zero in LT-related techniques training without increasing the risk of the operation, thus facilitating training for LT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the knowledge of tumor immunobiology deepening among researchers, the breakthroughs in the field of tumor immunotherapy in recent years have provided new approaches for cancer therapy. While patients who receive treatment are all at risk of side effects, about one‐fifth of them have sustained responses. It is crucial to figure out the underlying mechanism of how the immune system regulates the nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) microenvironment to improve the benefit of immunotherapy. Regarding glucose metabolism, the initial step is to generate glucose‐6‐phosphate by phosphorylating glucose with hexokinases‐3 (HK3). According to a recent study, HK3 has a functional role in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia and colorectal cancer. Results: Here, we studied the co‐expression relationship between the glycolytic pathway gene and the immune checkpoint gene and found that the expression of HK3 in tumor tissues may be related to immune status. By analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we found that the expression of HK3 was closely related to the main clinical features as well as to molecular characteristics. We also predicted that cases with low expression of HK3 were usually malignant entities and were shown to be obvious genomic aberrations of driver oncogenes. At the same time, gene ontology analysis based on significantly related genes in HK3 expression showed that HK3 expression was linked to inflammatory activity and immune response. Additionally, HK3 showed a remarkable trend in predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy for patients receiving Keytruda (PD‐1 monoclonal antibody) treatment. Conclusions: This is the first comprehensive study to characterize HK3 expression in NSCLC from molecular and clinical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruption of the gut barrier results in severe clinical outcomes with no specific treatment. Metabolic disorders and destruction of enterocytes play key roles in gut barrier dysfunction. Irisin is a newly identified exercise hormone that regulates energy metabolism. However, the effect of irisin on gut barrier function remains unknown. The therapeutic effect of irisin on gut barrier dysfunction was evaluated in gut ischemia reperfusion (IR). The direct effect of irisin on gut barrier function was studied in Caco‐2 cells. Here, we discovered that serum and gut irisin levels were decreased during gut IR and that treatment with exogenous irisin restored gut barrier function after gut IR in mice. Meanwhile, irisin decreased oxidative stress, calcium influx and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress after gut IR. Moreover, irisin protected mitochondrial function and reduced enterocyte apoptosis. The neutralizing antibody against irisin significantly aggravated gut injury, oxidative stress and enterocyte apoptosis after gut IR. Further studies revealed that irisin activated the AMPK‐UCP 2 pathway via binding to the integrin αVβ5 receptor. Inhibition of integrin αVβ5, AMPK or UCP 2 abolished the protective role of irisin in gut barrier function. In conclusion, exogenous irisin restores gut barrier function after gut IR via the integrin αVβ5‐AMPK‐UCP 2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA walking machines opened new avenues for the biosensing and demonstrated great success in the past few years. Since DNA machines are mainly nonequilibrium systems driven by dynamic interactions, the matrix effects on DNA machines is a bottleneck and more intricate than common DNA‐mediated assays, especially for complicated physiological samples. Herein, to realize an accurate and reliable quantitative machine, a ratiometric DNA walking machine was developed in human serums and cell lysates based on the elemental isotope ratio measurement. The target DNA‐triggered walking machine converted and amplified biological signals into mass spectrometric signal ratios (197Au/115In) via a burnt‐bridge mechanism. Under the optimized conditions, the limit of detection (LOD, 3σ) was 8 fM for target DNA, with a dynamic linear range of 0.05–0.7 pM. The ratiometric DNA walking machine was directly applied in human serum samples with satisfactory recoveries of 94 to 105 %, demonstrating an excellent stability and a high accuracy. Combining the aptamer‐based specific recognition, the proposed DNA machine is expected to be a versatile platform for other targets, such as small biomolecules and proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mini‐review describes the recent developments in quantum dots‐based nanoprobes in liquid‐phase chemiluminescence (CL) analysis. In the referenced reports, multiple quantum dots (QDs) were adopted as final emission species either after direct oxidation reactions (direct CL) or after chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (indirect CL). This review does not include papers in which QDs have been used as enhancers, catalysts, carriers or quenchers in chemiluminescence systems. A brief overview on the CL mechanisms of various QDs‐based nanoprobes and their analytical applications over the last decade is given, followed by comments on the future challenges and prospects in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsaicin (trans‐8‐methyl‐N‐vanillyl‐6‐nonenamide, CAP) is an important ingredient in spicy foods consumed throughout the world. Vinblastine (VBL) is a naturally occurring alkaloid prescribed to cancer patients. Many cancer patients treated with VBL were taking CAP at the same time. This study attempted to investigate the effect of CAP on the pharmacokinetics of VBL, which is the substrate of CYP3A, P‐gp, and Mrp2. CAP, cyclosporine (CsA) or olive oil was given to rats for seven consecutive days, and on the seventh day, VBL (1.3 mg/kg) was administered intravenously. CsA was used as a CYP3A1/2 and transporter inhibitor, and olive oil was used as a vehicle. The results showed that pretreatment of rats with CAP (3.0 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days resulted in an increase in the AUC0–t of VBL of about 29.8% (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Moreover, CAP decreased the CL of VBL to 75.5% (P < 0.05). At this time, CYP3A1/2 and Mrp2/Abcc2 in the liver was decreased at the mRNA and protein levels. These results demonstrate that chronic ingestion of CAP will increase systemic exposure and reduce clearance of VBL in rats. The food–drug interaction between CAP and VBL appears to be due to modulation of CYP3A1/2 and Mpr2 expression by CAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Post‐pancreaticoduodenectomy hemorrhage (PPH) is a potentially lethal complication. The objective of this study was to explore the risk factors of PPH and to evaluate the treatment options. Methods: Clinical data of 739 consecutive patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy between 2009 and 2017 were collected from a prospectively maintained database. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed by logistic regression model to evaluate potential risk factors associated with early and late PPH. Results: The morbidity of PPH was 8.7% (64/739), while the mortality was 12.5% (8/64). Twenty‐two (34.4%) patients developed PPH within postoperative day 1 (early PPH) whereas 42 (65.6%) patients after postoperative day 1 (late PPH). No significant risk factor was identified associated with early PPH, whereas pancreatic duct diameter < 0.4 cm, and intra‐abdominal complications, such as pancreatic fistula, intra‐abdominal abscess, and delayed gastric emptying, were independently correlated with late PPH. There were 10 (15.6%) grade A, 28 (43.8%) grade B, and 26 (40.6%) grade C bleedings. The bleeding sites were verified by endoscopy, angiography, and/or exploratory laparotomy in 23 of 54 (42.6%) patients with grade B or C hemorrhage. Seven out of nine (78%) patients with arterial bleeding were cured by angiography and embolization, while 10 of 11 (90.9%) patients with anastomotic, venous, or retroperitoneum bleeding were rescued by laparotomy. Ten patients with grade A and 22 patients with grade B or C hemorrhage were treated successfully by blood transfusion and hemostatic medications. Conclusions: Hemorrhage following pancreaticoduodenectomy is a common and lethal complication. Treatment strategies should be tailored according to different etiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Magnetic anastomosis has been attempted in biliary and intestinal reconstruction. The objective of the current study was to introduce an initial clinical use of magnetic compression anastomosis for pancreaticojejunostomy and biliojejunostomy in Whipple's procedure. Methods: Patients with peri‐ampullary carcinoma and dilated bile and pancreatic ducts were prospectively enrolled from 2016 to 2017. After pancreaticoduodenectomy, an appropriate mother magnet and drainage tube was placed in the proximal bile duct and pancreatic duct. The daughter magnets were introduced to mate with the mother magnets at the anastomotic sites. A close postoperative surveillance and routine cholangiopancreaticography via the drainage tube were performed. Results: One female and three male patients with a median age of 69 years (range, 57–77) were included. The diameter of the common bile ducts and pancreatic ducts ranged from 8 to 15 mm, and 7 to 10 mm, respectively. The median time duration for biliojejunostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy was 7 (range, 5–8 min) min and 9 (range, 8–10 min) min, respectively. The median time of biliojejunostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy formation was 17 (range, 15–21 days) days and 11 (range, 10–18 days), respectively. With a median follow up of 313 days, one patient developed biliary anastomotic stricture at 11 months after surgery, and underwent stent placement via percutaneous transhepatic drainage sinus, and recovered well. Conclusions: Magnetic anastomosis is safe, effective, and simple for both biliojejunostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy in Whipple's procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnetic compression anastomosis (magnamosis, MCA) has been verified safe and effective by us and others in animal bilioenteric anastomosis (BEA). The objective of the present study was to introduce clinical application of magnetic compression bilioenteric anastomosis (MC-BEA) with a unique device in series of patients.Methods: Patients with obstructive jaundice with an indication of BEA were prospectively enrolled from 2012 to 2015. After dissection of bile ducts, the mother ring and drainage tube were placed in the proximal bile duct and the purse-string suture was tightened over the drainage tube. The drainage tube was introduced into the jejunal lumen at the anastomotic site and used to guide the daughter ring to assemble with the mother ring. All the patients were routinely followed up for magnets discharge or any complications associated.Results: Forty-one patients were included. Thirty-four (82.9%) patients had a malignant primary disease, while seven (17.1%) had benign disease. The median time for MC-BEA was 10.5 min (interquartile range [IQR] 8.3-13.0 min). No perioperative morbidity or mortality associated with MC-BEA was observed. The median time for a patent bilioenteric anastomosis formation was 19.0 days (IQR 14.5-23.0 days), and the magnets were discharged with a median postoperative duration of 35.0 days (IQR 28.0-43.0 days). With a median follow-up of 547.5 days (range 223-1042 days), no patients had biliary fistula, while two (4.9%) developed anastomotic stricture at 4 months and 14 months after surgery, and underwent reoperation for reconstruction of BEA. Conclusions: MCA is a safe, effective, and time-saving modality for biliojejunostomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Time to tumor recurrence may be associated with outcomes following resection of hepatobiliary cancers. The objective of the current study was to investigate risk factors and prognosis among patients with early versus late recurrence of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) after curative-intent resection.Methods: A total of 225 patients who underwent curative-intent resection for HCCA were identified from 10 academic centers in the USA. Data on clinicopathologic characteristics, pre-, intra-, and postoperative details and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. The slope of the curves identified by linear regression was used to categorize recurrences as early versus late.Results: With a median follow-up of 18.0 months, 99 (44.0%) patients experienced a tumor recurrence. According to the slope of the curves identified by linear regression, the functions of the two straight lines were y = −0.465x + 16.99 and y = −0.12x + 7.16. The intercept value of the two lines was 28.5 months, and therefore, 30 months (2.5 years) was defined as the cutoff to differentiate early from late recurrence. Among 99 patients who experienced recurrence, the majority (n = 80, 80.8%) occurred within the first 2.5 years (early recurrence), while 19.2% of recurrences occurred beyond 2.5 years (late recurrence). Early recurrence was more likely present as distant disease (75.1% vs. 31.6%, p = 0.001) and was associated with a worse OS (Median OS, early 21.5 vs. late 50.4 months, p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, poor tumor differentiation (HR 10.3, p = 0.021), microvascular invasion (HR 3.3, p = 0.037), perineural invasion (HR 3.9, p = 0.029), lymph node metastases (HR 5.0, p = 0.004), and microscopic positive margin (HR 3.5, p = 0.046) were independent risk factors associated with early recurrence.Conclusions: Early recurrence of HCCA after curative resection was common (~35.6%). Early recurrence was strongly associated with aggressive tumor characteristics, increased risk of distant metastatic recurrence and a worse long-term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We sought to investigate the prognosis of patients following curative-intent surgery for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) stratified by hepatitis B (HBV-ICC), hepatolithiasis (Stone-ICC), and no identifiable cause (conventional ICC) etiologic subtype.Methods: 986 patients with HBV-ICC (n = 201), stone-ICC (n = 103), and conventional ICC (n = 682) who underwent curative-intent resection were identified from a multi-institutional database. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to mitigate residual bias.Results: HBV-ICC patients more often had cirrhosis, earlier stage tumors, a mass-forming lesion, well-to-moderate tumor differentiation, and an R0 resection versus stone-ICC or conventional ICC patients. Five-year recurrence-free survival among HBV-ICC and conventional ICC patients was 23.9 and 17.8%, respectively, versus a recurrence-free of only 8.3% among patients with stone-ICC. Similarly, 5-year overall survival among patients with stone-ICC was only 18.3% compared with 48.9 and 38.0% for patients with HBV-ICC and conventional ICC, respectively. On PSM, patients with stone-ICC group had equivalent long-term outcomes as HBV-ICC patients. In contrast, on PSM, stone-ICC patients had a median overall survival of only 18.0 months versus 44.0 months for patients with conventional ICC. Median overall survival after intrahepatic-only recurrence among patients who had stone-ICC (6.0 months) was worse than OS among HBV-ICC (13.0 months) or conventional ICC (12.0 months) (p = 0.006 and p = 0.082, respectively).Conclusions: While HBV-ICC had a better prognosis on unadjusted analyses, these differences were mitigated on PSM suggesting no stage-for-stage differences in outcomes compared with stone-ICC or conventional ICC. In contrast, patients with stone-ICC had worse long-term outcomes. These data highlight the relative importance of ICC etiology relative to established clinicopathological factors in the prognosis of patients with ICC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weak mechanical property and unstable degradation rate limited the application of decellularized liver matrix in tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to explore a new method for improving the mechanical properties, anti-degeneration and angiogenic capability of decellularized liver matrix. This was achieved by a novel approach using riboflavin/ultraviolet A treatment to induce collagen cross-linking of decellularized matrix. Histological staining and scanning electron microscope showed that the diameter of cross-linked fibers significantly increased compared with the control group. The average peak load and Young's modulus of decellularized matrix were obviously improved after cross-linking. Then we implanted the modified matrix into the rat hepatic injury model to test the anti-degeneration and angiogenic capability of riboflavin/UVA cross-linked decellularized liver scaffolds in vivo. The results indicated that cross-linked scaffolds degrade more slowly than those in the control group. In the experiment group, average microvessel density in the implanted matrix was higher than that in the control group since the first week after implantation. In conclusion, we initiated the method to improve the biomechanical properties of decellularized liver scaffolds by riboflavin/UVA cross-linking, and more importantly, its improvement on anti-degeneration and angiogenesis was identified. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2662-2669, 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The therapeutic management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections remains challenging, and novel antiviral strategies are urgently required. The HBV transbody, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against human HBcAg coupled with the trans-activator of transcription protein transduction domain (TAT PTD), was previously shown to possess cell-penetrating ability and potent antiviral activity in vitro. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antiviral activity of the HBcMAb-TAT PTD conjugate in vivo in a duck model of HBV.Experimental Approach: Female Peking ducks were injected i.p. with 0.03-0.3 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 of the DHBV transbody (DHBcMAb-TAT PTD conjugate) for 30 days. Serum DHBV DNA levels and liver DHBV DNA and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) loads were determined at scheduled time points. Immunohistological examination of DHBcAg in the duck liver was also performed.Key Results: The DHBV transbody significantly reduced the serum and liver DHBV DNA levels at doses of 0.1 and 0.3 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 and liver cccDNA levels at a dose of 0.3 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 after 30 days of treatment. The suppressive effects of the DHBV transbody at 0.3 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 on the serum and liver DHBV DNA and liver cccDNA levels remained significant, even at 15 days after treatment cessation. Similarly, immunohistochemistry of liver sections revealed decreased DHBcAg levels within hepatocytes 15 days after treatment termination.Conclusions and Implications: The DHBV transbody inhibits DHBV replication and possesses potent anti-DHBV activities in vivo. The cell-permeable antibody against the virus core antigen may be developed as a novel treatment for patients with hepadnavirus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgeons are likely to get progressively fatigued and work less effectively during the course of a normal workday. We sought to examine the effects of surgery start times (morning vs. afternoon) and workload of the surgeons on morbidity of patients after partial liver resection (LR). Methods: A total of 155 pairs of the patients from 383 patients undergoing LR were generated by propensity score analysis (PSM) according to the start times of surgery: group M (morning surgery, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.) and group A (afternoon surgery, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.). Patients in group A were further divided depending on whether or not the surgeons had performed other surgeries earlier in the day and the exact duration of the other surgeries before the afternoon surgery (≤180 and >180 min). The incidence and severity of postoperative complications were compared between different groups. Results: By using PSM analysis, the patients in group M and group A were well matched in basic characteristics. The incidence and severity of the postoperative complications were similar between the two groups (all p > 0.05). Whether the surgeons had performed other surgeries prior to the afternoon surgery seemed not affecting the postoperative outcome (all p > 0.05). Moreover, the duration of other surgeries the surgeons had performed did not have significant influence on the outcome of patients undergoing afternoon surgery (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Surgery start times and workload of surgeons during working time did not measurably affect short-term outcomes of the patients. The negative findings might be a manifestation of professional judgment and self-regulation of the experienced physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental data on chord length distributions and growth rate during methane hydrate formation in water-in-oil emulsions were obtained in a high pressure stirring reactor using focused beam reflectance measurement and particle video microscope. The experiments were carried out at 274.2 K for 10-30% water cuts and agitation rates ranging from 200 to 500 rpm initially at 7.72 MPa. Rapid growth was accompanied by gradually decrease in rate. Free water was observed to become depleted during rapid growth while some water remained encapsulated inside hydrate layers constituting a mass transfer barrier. The apparent kinetic constants of methane hydrate formation and free-water fractions were determined using a newly developed kinetic model independent of the dissolution rate at the gas-oil interface. It was illustrated that continued growth depends on distribution and transfer of water in oil-dominated systems. This perception accords with observations of hydrate film growth on suspended water droplet in oil and clarifies transfer limits in kinetics. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 1010-1023, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abdominal incision closure technique seriously influences patient prognosis. Most studies have focused on the different suture techniques and materials on midline incision, while little data are available in wide transverse or oblique incisions after liver resection (LR). The aim of the present study is to compare the two major incision suture methods after LR in our institute: Mass continuous suture (group P) and layered interrupted suture (group S). Study design: 258 patients undergoing LR with abdominal transverse or oblique incisions were prospectively enrolled. They were divided into two groups according to different abdominal incision suture methods and compared with the preoperative, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative wound complications. Results: There were 118 patients in group P and 140 patients in group S, which was similar in general condition, primary disease, liver, and renal function. Incision length, total operation time, intraoperative blood loss, or perioperative antibiotics use were not different between the two groups. However, abdominal incision closure time and interval time for stitches removing after operation was significantly shorter in group P than group S (both p < 0.001). After a median follow-up of 16 months, the incidence of wound infection and fat liquefaction was more than two times higher in group S than group P, which, however, was not statistically different. Moreover, there was no difference in wound disruption or incisional hernia between the two groups. Conclusions: Although similar in occurrence of postoperative wound complications, mass continuous suture with polydioxanone seemed to be more timesaving in incision closure and motivated in wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (CPs), a fascinating class of recently discovered nanocarbons, have been widely known as some of the most promising sensing probes in biological or chemical analysis. In this study, we demonstrate a green synthetic methodology for generating water-soluble CPs with a quantum yield of approximately 24% via a simple heating process using yum mucilage as a carbon source. The prepared carbon nanoparticles with an ~10 nm size possessed excellent fluorescence properties, and the fluorescence of the CPs was strongly quenched by Fe3+, and recovered by adenosine triphosphate (ATP), thus, an 'off' and 'on' system can be easily established. This 'CPs-Fe3+-ATP' strategy was sensitive and selective at detecting ATP with the linear range of 0.5 µmol L−1 to 50 µmol L−1 and with a detection limit of 0.48 µmol L−1. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Hepatolithiasis is associated with the presence of intrahepatic biliary strictures, and balloon dilatation is the main approach. However, this method is difficult to implement if the bile duct distal to the stricture is blocked by stones. Therefore, alternative methods need to be explored to effectively treat hepatolithiasis. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of choledochoscopic high-frequency needle-knife electrotomy for the treatment of intrahepatic biliary strictures. Methods Clinical data of 58 patients suffering from intrahepatic bile duct strictures from January 2011 to January 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Choledochoscopic electrotomy was used to resolve the strictures. Results One hundred thirty-four sites of intrahepatic bile duct strictures were discovered. The average operating time of electrotomy is 5.6 min (range, 1 ∼ 15 min). Structured bile duct tissue bleeding occurred in eight sites (8/134, 6.0%) but were resolved by endoscopic high-frequency electric cautery. After the operations, 14 cases of cholangitis (14/58, 24.1%), three cases of delayed hemobilia, one case of liver abscess (1/58, 1.7%), and seven cases of stenting exodus (7/58, 12.1%) were observed despite conservative treatment and stenting reset. The average supporting time was 7.0 months (6 ∼ 9 months). No abnormal bile duct structure or presence of stone was found according to choledochoscopy. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 48 months. Hepatolithiasis recurred in five (5/58, 8.6%) patients, and the cumulative recurrent probability of intrahepatic bile duct stricture was 5.2% (7/134). Conclusions Choledochoscopic high-frequency needle-knife electrotomy could be considered as a simple, safe, and effective complementary approach for treating intrahepatic biliary strictures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last 10 years witnessed the emerging and growing up of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS)-based immunoassay. Its high sensitivity and multiplex potential have made ICPMS a revolutionary technique for bioanalyte quantification after element-tagged immunoassay. This review focuses on the major developments and the applications of ICPMS-based immunoassay, with emphasis on methodological innovations. The ICPMS-based immunoassay with elemental tags of metal ions, nanoparticles, and metal containing polymers was discussed in detail. The recent development of multiplex assay, mass cytometry, suspension array, and surface analysis demonstrated the versatility and great potential of this technique. ICPMS-based immunoassay has become one of the key methods in bioanalysis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 33: 373-393, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the clinical outcome of patients undergoing liver resection under ischemic preconditioning (IP) versus intermittent clamping (IC). Methods: A systematic published work search was conducted to detect randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing IP and intermittent clamping of the portal triad. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate postoperative morbidity and mortality, blood loss, transfusion requirement, and liver injury based on the levels of bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Metaanalysis was performed using either the fixed-effects model or random-effects model. Results: Five RCT published between 2006 and 2012 containing a total of 403 patients were eligible for final analysis. Meta-analysis of operative time showed it was lower in the IP group than the IC group with weighted mean difference (WMD) of -18.23 (95% confidence interval (CI), -28.58 to -7.87; P = 0.0006). Meta-analysis of ALT levels indicated lower levels in the IP group on postoperative days 3 and 7 (WMD on day 3: -45.27, 95% CI, -49.92 to -40.62; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0%; WMD on day 7: -24.33, 95% CI, -28.04 to -20.62; P < 0.00001; I² = 0%). Meta-analyses revealed no significant difference in blood loss, transfusion requirement, mortality, morbidity, ischemic duration, hospital stay, AST and bilirubin levels on postoperative days 1, 3 and 7, and ALT levels on postoperative day 1 between IP and IC groups. Conclusion: On currently available evidence, IP does not offer a satisfying benefit to patients undergoing hepatic resection. However, they have lower operative time and less liver injury after liver resections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]