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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of esophagogastrostomy using seromuscular double-flap technique following laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy. Methods The clinical data of one patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumor at the gastric cardia who underwent laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy in September 2019 was retrospectively analyzed. We reviewed the literature about esophagogastrostomy using seromuscular double-flap technique following proximal gastrectomy and summarized the clinical data. Results This case was a 67-year-old male patient. The patient was diagnosed as gastrointestinal stromal tumor at the gastric cardia by both preoperative imaging and postoperative pathologic examination. Laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy and esophagogastrostomy using seromuscular double-flap technique was performed. The total operative time and anastomosis time were 280 min and 100 min, respectively. The intraoperative blood loss was 40 mL. The time to the first postoperative flatus was 3 d. The time to the liquid diet was 4 d. The duration of postoperative hospital stay was 8 d. No postoperative short-term complication was found. No reflux esophagitis was shown two months postoperatively with endoscopy. The literature review showed that the occurrence of anastomotic leakage, anastomotic bleeding, anastomotic stenosis, and reflux esophagitis of esophagogastrostomy using seromuscular double-flap technique were 0-4.2%, 0-0.7%, 4.0%-29.1%, and 0-8.3%, respectively. Conclusions Esophagogastrostomy using seromuscular double-flap technique following laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy was safe and effective in terms of preventing gastroesophageal reflux. It can be applied in highly selected patient with upper-third gastric tumor. High attention is still required to prevent and treat the postoperative anastomotic stenosis.

A programmable high-accuracy system was proposed to collect and process telemetric fast varying signals, which consists of pre-circuit, analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion unit and signal collection and processing part. Performance analysis demonstrates that this novel telemetry-acquisition method is a potential solution to rapidly process fast varying signals and efficiently utilize telemetry channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A biosensor electrode possessing highly sensitive and selective determination of dopamine (DA) is fabricated. This electrode, a silver (Ag) thin film on indium-tin-oxide glass, is treated with a silver sulfide (Ag2S) film using electrochemical deposition. Active Ag ion is easier to form on Ag2S than on pristine Ag, which prefers to attract ascorbic acid (AA). The Ag2S layer reduces the oxidation potential of AA due to the electrostatic interaction, which results in well-separation of mixed oxidation responses to both of DA and AA. Besides, the Ag2S-modified electrode exhibits dramatic electrocatalytic effect on the oxidation of DA in the presence of AA. In 0.1M phosphate buffer solution at pH∼7.0, the differential pulse voltammetric peak intensity linearly correlates with DA concentration in two regions, viz. 1.0–10, and 10–100μM, with correlation coefficient of 0.998 and 0.995, respectively. The lowest concentration limit of 1.0μM DA can be detected. The interference of AA effectively diminishes in the mixed solution. These features make the Ag2S significant for selective and sensitive measurement of DA in the presence of excess AA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A self-assembled monolayer, N-[3-(trimethoxysily)propyl]ethylenediamine (PEDA-TMS), is employed to modify a titanium dioxide (TiO2) surface for tuning its conduction band to match the energy level of high-yellow phenyl-substituted poly(para-phenylenevinylene) copolymer (HY-PPV) for fabricating inverted-type polymer light-emitting diodes (I-PLEDs). Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and electron-dominated devices were used to investigate changes of the electron-injection barrier. A PEDA-TMS-modified device achieved much higher brightness (3148cd/m2) than that of the bare TiO2 device (no luminescence). The air stability of the proposed device is highly improved by the use of stable electrodes and injection layers. These significant improvements make TiO2 application to PPV-based PLEDs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present research was designed to investigate the interference of Ca2+ homeostasis by ethanol on the primary cultured superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons. (1) Using the whole cell patch clamp recording, the amplitudes of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC) currents could be reduced by ethanol in a concentration-dependent manner. Ethanol (100mM) inhibited about 25% of Ca2+ channel current. However, the activation of Ca2+ channel was not affected by ethanol at those concentrations. (2) The similar extent inhibitions of 100mM ethanol on the increments of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) induced by 40mM KCl and 1μM A23187 were also observed in the fluo-3-AM loaded superior cervical ganglia (SCG) via detecting the change of [Ca2+]i with a laser scanning confocal microscopy. In contrast, the basal [Ca2+]i was significantly increased by ethanol alone in a concentration-dependent manner. These phenomena were also observed even under Ca2+ free bath solution or the solution added 300μM cadmium chloride conditions. Together with above results, our data suggest that ethanol increases basal [Ca2+]i, but it also inhibits the extracellular Ca2+ influx through VDCC and ionophore channel. And the augment of basal [Ca2+]i induced by ethanol might attribute to the Ca2+ releasing from intracellular Ca2+ pools. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The enzymatic activities of Furin, Transmembrane serine proteinase 2 (TMPRSS2), Cathepsin L (CTSL), and Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor binding are necessary for the entry of coronaviruses into host cells. Precise inhibition of these key proteases in ACE2 + lung cells during a viral infection cycle shall prevent viral Spike (S) protein activation and its fusion with a host cell membrane, consequently averting virus entry to the cells. In this study, dual-drug-combined (TMPRSS2 inhibitor Camostat and CTSL inhibitor E-64d) nanocarriers (NCs) are constructed conjugated with an anti-human ACE2 (hACE2) antibody and employ Red Blood Cell (RBC)-hitchhiking, termed "Nanoengineered RBCs," for targeting lung cells. The significant therapeutic efficacy of the dual-drug-loaded nanoengineered RBCs in pseudovirus-infected K18-hACE2 transgenic mice is reported. Notably, the modular nanoengineered RBCs (anti-receptor antibody+NCs+RBCs) precisely target key proteases of host cells in the lungs to block the entry of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), regardless of virus variations. These findings are anticipated to benefit the development of a series of novel and safe host-cell-protecting antiviral therapies., (© 2024 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Aim: To investigate the expression and prognostic role of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in gastric cancer (GC)., Methods: This study included 265 patients (194 male, 71 female, mean age 59 years (range, 29-81 years) with GC who underwent curative surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from January 2006 to May 2007. All patients were followed up for more than 5 years. Patient-derived paraffin embedded GC specimens were collected for tissue microarrays (TMAs). We examined PDH expression by immunohistochemistry in TMAs containing tumor tissue and matched non-neoplastic mucosa. Immunoreactivity was evaluated independently by two researchers. Overall survival (OS) rates were determined using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Correlations with other clinicopathologic factors were evaluated by two-tailed χ(2) tests or a two-tailed t-test. The Cox proportional-hazard model was used in univariate analysis and multivariate analysis to identify factors significantly correlated with prognosis., Results: Immunohistochemistry showed that 35.47% of total cancer tissue specimens had cytoplasmic PDH staining. PDH expression was much higher in normal mucosa specimens (75.09%; P = 0.001). PDH expression was correlated with Lauren grade (70.77% in intestinal type vs 40.0% in diffuse type; P = 0.001), lymph node metastasis (65.43% with no metastasis vs 51.09% with metastasis; P = 0.033), lymphatic invasion (61.62% with no invasion vs 38.81% with invasion; P = 0.002), histologic subtypes (70.77% in intestinal type vs 40.0% in diffuse type; P = 0.001) and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (39% in poorly differentiated vs 65.91% in well differentiated and 67.11% in moderately differentiated; P = 0.001) in GC. PDH expression in cancer tissue was significantly associated with higher OS (P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis adjusted for age, Lauren classification, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, histological type, tumor size, depth of invasion and lymphatic invasion showed that the PDH expression in GC was an independent prognostic factor for higher OS (HR = 0.608, 95%CI: 0.504-0.734, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our study indicated that PDH expression is an independent prognostic factor in GC patients and that positive expression of PDH may be predictive of favorable outcomes.

Aim: To construct the eukaryotic recombinant expression plasmid of pcDNA3.1(+)-PRMT1., Methods: Human PRMT1 cDNA was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After digested by BamH I, Hind III and ligation, PRMT1 was inserted into pcDNA3.1(+)eukaryotic expression vector. The positive colonies were screened and identified by PCR and sequencing. pcDNA3.1(+)-PRMT1 plasmid was then transfected into the cultured A549 cell line with Lipofectamine(TM);2000. Realtime-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of PRMT1 respectively., Results: The PRMT1 cDNA was successfully amplified, and pcDNA3.1(+)-PRMT1 were constructed. The inserted sequence in pcDNA3.1(+)-PRMT1 was the same as the sequence of PRMT1 cDNA published in NCBI GenBank. Further, Realtime PCR and Western blot results validated the recombinant plasmid expressed in A549 cell line efficiently., Conclusion: pcDNA3.1(+)-PRMT1 recombinant was successfully constructed.

Objective: To investigate the long-term effects of iodophor on thyroid function and autoimmunity in females., Methods: 119 medical personnel who have been using iodophor as preoperative skin disinfectant more for than 2 years and 123 medical personnel who have not exposed to iodophor were studied. The urinary iodine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT(3)), free thyroxine (FT(4)), thyroid peroxydase antibody (TPO-Ab) and TG-Ab in serum were measured and the thyroid were examined by B mode ultrasound apparatus., Results: The median urinary iodine (MUI) was 300.4 micro g/L in the exposed group, not significantly higher than that in the non-exposed group (269.1 micro g/L, P > 0.05). The TSH levels of the exposed group and non-exposed group were 1.66 mU/L and 1.62 mU/L (P = 0.84). B mode ultrasound examination showed that the prevalence rate of thyroid disorders was 3.36% in the exposed group, not significantly different from that in the non-exposed group (2.44%). The thyroid autoantibody positive rate was not significantly different between these two groups too. The titer of autoantibody in the exposed group was 29.5 IU/L, significantly higher than that in the non-exposed group (22.4 IU/L, P = 0.048). The titer of TG-Ab in the exposed group was 21.85 IU/L, not significantly different from that in the non-exposed group (18.7 IU/L, P = 0.542). The mean titer of TPO-Ab in exposed group was 29.5 IU/L, significantly higher than that in non-exposed group (22.4 IU/L, P = 0.048). The total prevalence rate of all sorts of thyroid disorders in the exposed group was 11.76%, significantly higher than that in non-exposed group (4.07%, P = 0.026). The thyroid disorders discovered included clinical hyperthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism., Conclusion: Using iodophor as preoperative skin disinfectant may result in an increased incidence of thyroid disorders in female medical personnel. Medical personnel with iodophor exposure history should have their thyroid function and thyroid autoimmune status examined regularly.