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Objectives: Mastication is associated with brain activation at the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and the primary motor cortex (M1). Masticatory functions differ between patients with cognitive impairment (CI) and cognitively healthy older adults (non‐CI). The association between cognitive health, brain network of functional connectivity, and mastication has remained unknown. The study investigated the association between masticatory performance (MP) and the topological feature of the functional network at the M1 and S1 in the CI and non‐CI groups. Subjects and Methods: Forty‐nine non‐CI and 15 CI subjects received resting‐state (rs) fMRI and assessment of MP. The topological feature of the M1 and S1 was quantified by eigenvector centrality (EC), an index that reflects a brain region as a functional "hub" of brain network. Results: In the non‐CI group, MP was significantly correlated with EC of the left M1 and the right M1. The correlation was not statistically significant in the CI group. Cognitive status (CI or non‐CI) and EC of the left M1 and the right M1, respectively, were statistically significant predictors to individual MP. Conclusion: Cognitive status and the topological feature of the M1 in the intrinsic functional network may contribute to the individual difference in masticatory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel μ-O bridged dinuclear Dy2 clusters have been synthesized successfully by utilizing an 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) Schiff base ligand and four different co-ligands: [Dy2(bfa)2(L)2(H2O)2]·4CH3OH (1), [Dy2(TTA)2(L)2(H2O)2]·4CH3OH (2), [Dy2(acac)2(L)2(H2O)2]·2H2O (3) and [Dy2(PhCOO)2(L)2(H2O)2] (4) (Hbfa = benzoyl trifluoroacetylacetone, HTTA = thiophene trifluoroacetylacetone, Hacac = acetylacetone, PhCOOH = benzoic acid, H2L = 2-[(4-pyridinebenzoylhydrazone)methyl]-8-hydroxyquinoline). Magnetic studies show that only complex 1 exhibits SMM behavior under a zero dc field with a magnetic relaxation barrier of 68.89 K. When a dc field of 1500 Oe is applied, the value of ΔE/kB increases to 72.63 K. The different dynamic magnetic behaviors of the four Dy2 complexes mainly originate from the tiny changes of the coordination environment and magnetic coupling interaction of the central ions caused by the different co-ligands. Meanwhile, it proves that the co-ligands play an important role in modulating the magnetic properties of Dy-SMMs based on 8-HQ derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the short-term clinical efficacy of SuperCap approach and direct anterior approach in total hip arthroplasty., Methods: Clinical data of 70 patients who underwent minimally invasive SuperCap approach and DAA THA in January 2016 to June 2017 were retrospective analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups:SuperCap approach group(SuperCap group) and direct anterior approach group(DAA group). There were 15 males and 15 females in SuperCap group, aged from 45 to 71 years old, and the follow-up time ranged from 24 to 30 months. There were 24 males and 16 females in Group B, aged from 51 to 76 years and the follow-up time ranged from 24 to 36 months. Hemoglobin level of the 3rd day after operation, transfusion rate, acetabular abduction angle, anteversion angle and creatine kinase level of the 3rd day after operation, Harris score of 3 months and the last time, VAS score of 1 week and the last time were recorded and compared. Complications were recorded at the final follow-up., Results: All patients were followed up, the follow-up time of SuperCap group ranged from 24 to 30 months, that of DAA group ranged from 24 to 36 months. No significant differences were found in hemoglobin level on the 3rd day after operation, transfusion rate, Harris score or VAS score between two group ( P >0.05). There was no significant difference in Harris score between 3 months after operation and the final follow-up in both groups ( P >0.05). There were no significant difference in VAS scores of 6 weeks after operation and on the final follow-up neither( P >0.05). The level of creatine kinase in SuperCap group was significant lower than that in DAA group( P <0.05). Until the final follow-up, there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups( P >0.05)., Conclusion: The clinical effect of minimally invasive SuperCap approach after total hip arthroplasty is comparable to that of DAA approach with less soft tissue injury. Patients can recover rapidly after operation and it is a safe and effective surgical approach for surgeons with short learning curve.

The Da Vinci Surgical System may help to overcome some of the difficulties of laparoscopy for complicated abdominal surgery. The authors of this article present a case of robot-assisted, one-stage radical resection of three tumors, including robotic anterior resection for rectal cancer, segmental hepatectomy for liver metastasis, and wedge-shaped excision for lung metastasis. A 59-year-old man with primary rectal cancer and liver and lung metastases was operated upon with a one-stage radical resection approach using the Da Vinci Surgical System. Resection and anastomosis of rectal cancer were performed extracorporeally after undocking the robot. The procedure was successfully completed in 500 min. No surgical complications occurred during the intervention and postoperative period, and no conversion to laparotomy or additional trocars were required. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of simultaneous resection for rectal cancer with liver and lung metastases using the Da Vinci Surgery System to be reported. The procedure is feasible and safe and its main advantages for patient are avoiding repeated operation, reducing surgical trauma, shortening recovery time, and early implementation of postoperative adjuvant therapy.

Colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) is common worldwide. Targeted therapies with monoclonal antibodies have been proven effective in numerous clinical trials, and are now becoming standards for patients with CLM. The development and application of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibodies represents significant advances in the treatment of this disease. However, new findings continue to emerge casting doubt on the efficacy of this approach. The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) has been proven to be a crucial predictor of the success of anti-EGFR treatment in CLM. Whereas a recent study summarized several randomized controlled trials, and showed that patients with the KRAS G13D mutation significantly benefited from the addition of cetuximab in terms of progress-free survival (PFS, 4.0 mo vs 1.9 mo, HR = 0.51, P = 0.004) and overall survival (OS, 7.6 mo vs 5.7 mo, HR = 0.50, P = 0.005). Some other studies also reported that the KRAS G13D mutation might not be absolutely predictive of non-responsiveness to anti-EGFR therapy. At the same time, "new" RAS mutations, including mutations in neuroblastoma RAS viral (v-ras) oncogene homolog (NRAS) and exons 3 and 4 of KRAS, have been suggested to be predictors of a poor treatment response. This finding was first reported by the update of the PRIME trial. The update showed that for patients with non-mutated KRAS exon 2 but other RAS mutations, panitumumab-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX)4 treatment led to inferior PFS (HR = 1.28, 95%CI: 0.79-2.07) and OS (HR = 1.29, 95%CI: 0.79-2.10), which was consistent with the findings in patients with KRAS mutations in exon 2. Then, the update of the PEAK trial and the FIRE-III trial also supported this finding, which would reduce candidates for anti-EGFR therapy but enhance the efficacy. In first-line targeted combination therapy, the regimens of cetuximab plus FOLFOX was called into question because of the inferior prognosis in the COIN trial and the NORDIC-VII trial. Also, bevacizumab plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was questioned because of the NO16966 trial. By the update and further analysis of the COIN trial and the NORDIC-VII trial, cetuximab plus FOLFOX was reported to be reliable again. But bevacizumab plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was still controversial. In addition, some trials have reported that bevacizumab is not suitable for conversion therapy. The results of the FIRE-III trial showed that cetuximab led to a significant advantage over bevacizumab in response rate (72% vs 63%, P = 0.017) for evaluable population. With the balanced allocation of second-line treatment, the FIRE-III trial was expected to provide evidence for selecting following regimens after first-line progression. There is still no strong evidence for the efficacy of targeted therapy as a preoperative treatment for resectable CLM or postoperative treatment for resected CLM, although the combined regimen is often administered based on experience. Combination therapy with more than one targeted agent has been proven to provide no benefit, and even was reported to be harmful as first-line treatment by four large clinical trials. However, recent studies reported positive results of erlotinib plus bevacizumab for maintenance treatment. The mechanism of antagonism between different targeted agents deserves further study, and may also provide greater understanding of the development of resistance to targeted agents.