Causes of recurrence of paediatric inguinal hernia after single-port laparoscopic closure.

PURPOSE: This paper explores the causes of paediatric inguinal hernia (PIH) recurrence after single-port laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (SPLPEC). METHOD: From January 2015 to December 2020, the clinical data of 3480 children with PIHs who underwent SPLPEC were retrospectively reviewed, including 644 children who underwent SPLPEC with a homemade single-hook hernia needle from January 2015 to December 2016 and 2836 children who underwent the SPLPEC with a double-hook hernia needle and hydrodissection from January 2017 to December 2020. There were 39 recurrences (including communicating hydrocele) during the 2-5 years of follow-up. The findings of redo-laparoscopy were recorded and correlated with the revised video of the first operation to analyse the causes of recurrence. RESULT: Thirty-three males and 6 females experienced recurrence, and 8 patients had a unilateral communicating hydrocele. The median time to recurrence was 7.1 months (0-38). There were 20 cases (3.11%) in the single-hook group and 19 cases (0.67%) in the double-hook group. Based on laparoscopic findings, recurrence most probably resulted from multiple factors, including uneven tension of the ligation (10 cases), missing part of the peritoneum (14 cases), loose ligation (8 cases), broken knot (5 cases), and knot reaction (2 cases). All children who underwent repeat SPLPEC were cured by double ligations or reinforcement with medial umbilical ligament. CONCLUSION: The main cause of recurrence is improper ligation. Tension-free and complete PIH ligation are critical to the success of surgery, which requires avoiding the peritoneum skip area and the subcutaneous and muscular tissues. Redo-laparoscopic surgery was suitable for the treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia (RIH). For giant hernias, direct ligation of the internal ring incorporating the medial umbilical ligament (DIRIM) may be needed.

[Biosorption and Biomineralization of Uranium(VI) from Aqueous Solutions by Landoltia Punctata].

The biosorption and biomineralization characteristics of uranium by the duckweed Landoltia punctata was investigated in aqueous solutions enriched with 1 to 250 mg · L(-1) of U(VI) supplied as uranyl nitrate [UO2(NO3)2 · 6H2O]. The maximum uranium removal for the plant cultivar occurred at pH 4~5 of solution and their uranium removal efficiencies exceeded 90% after 24 h. In kinetics studies, the dried powder of duckweed can finished nearly 80% adsorption within 5 min, the batch adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 24 h for the living and dried powder of duckweed, Both for the living and dried powder of duckweed, the experimental data were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order rate model with the degree of fitting (r) higher than 0.99. The adsorption isotherms could be better described by the Freundlich model than the Langmuir model. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the surface of Landoltia punctata possess many active groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, phosphate and amide groups, the hydroxyl, amino groups involved in adsorption of U(VI) by living and dried powder of Landoltia punctata, and the phosphate groups also participated in the adsorption behavior of U(VI) by the living Landoltia punctata. The living Landoltia punctata reduction part of U(VI) to U(IV) was observed by XPS analysis. SEM and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) of duckweed from 10~200 mg · L(-1) uranium treatments indeed showed root surface of living Landoltia punctata formed a significant portion of U precipitates with nanometer sized schistose structures that consisted primarily U and P, not containing C. Inorganic phosphate was released by the root cells of Landoltia punctata during the experiments providing ligands for formation of insoluble U(VI) and U(IV) phosphates. The distinct uranium peaks in the EDS spectra of the cluster on the root surface can be observed after biosorption and the uranium and phosphorus mass ratio of the cluster spot was measured to be 82.5% and 8.76% of the total component weight, respectively, and the atomic percentage of 30.89% and 25.19%, respectively. It is worth noting that the phosphorus mass ratio and the atomic rate of the control group is only 0.24% and 0.11%, respectively. But there was no similar crystals observed on the surface of dried powder of Landoltia punctata after biosorption. The present work suggests that living and dried powder of Landoltia punctata can remove more than 90% U(VI) from solution simultaneously precipitated together with phosphate by the living Landoltia punctata, and the dried powder of Landoltia punctata adsorption U(VI) is mainly through the effect of electrostatic attraction, ion exchange and complexation coordination, etc. Here, for the first time, the presence of U immobilization mechanisms within one aquatic plant is reported using Landoltia punctata.

[Biosorption of Radionuclide Uranium by Deinococcus radiodurans].

As a biological adsorbent, Living Deinococcus radiodurans was used for removing radionuclide uranium in the aqueous solution. The effect factors on biosorption of radionuclide uranium were researched in the present paper, including solution pH values and initial uranium concentration. Meanwhile, the biosorption mechanism was researched by the method of FTIR and SEM/EDS. The results show that the optimum conditions for biosorption are as follows: pH = 5, co = 100 mg · L(-1) and the maximum biosorption capacity is up to 240 mgU · g(-1). According to the SEM results and EDXS analysis, it is indicated that the cell surface is attached by lots of sheet uranium crystals, and the main biosorpiton way of uranium is the ion exchange or surface complexation. Comparing FTIR spectra and FTIR fitting spectra before and after biosorption, we can find that the whole spectra has a certain change, particularly active groups (such as amide groups of the protein, hydroxy, carboxyl and phosphate group) are involved in the biosorption process. Then, there is a new peak at 906 cm(-1) and it is a stretching vibration peak of UO2(2+). Obviously, it is possible that as an anti radiation microorganism, Deinococcus radiodurans could be used for removing radionuclide uranium in radiation environment.

[Characteristics of U (VI) biosorption by biological adsorbent of platanus leaves].

The platanus leaves were used as adsorbent to study uranium removal efficiency from aqueous solution on the basis of adsorption kinetics and isotherm equations. Static adsorption affected by initial pH values and contact time was analyzed, and surface characteristics of platanus leaves and uranium removal mechanism were investigated with the help of SEM, FTIR, XRD and XRF. The adsorption process fits pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm equation, and the maximum adsorption capacity for uranium was 19.68 mg x g(-1). Results showed that hydroxyl groups, amides II belt and carboxyl active functional groups were important for uranium removal. Structure characteristic adsorption band of cellulose was found in XRD spectra, uranium was detected, and also Ca and Na elements of the content increased. Mg element content relative decrease was found on platanus leaves after adsorption by XRF, and it proved the reaction feasibility. Speculation for the behavior of uraniu adsorption by platanus leaves was both physical adsorption and chemical adsorption, exhibiting joint action of electrostatic attraction, redox reaction, chelating ligand and ion exchange.

[Comparative study on therapeutic effects of acupuncture, Chinese herbs and Western medicine on nervous tinnitus].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B 2), Chinese herbs and western medicine on nervous tinnitus. METHODS: Ninety cases were randomly divided into 3 groups, 30 cases in each group. The acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2), 20 min each session, once a day, 10 sessions constituting one course; the Chinese herbs group with modified Buzhong Yiqi Decoction (decocted in water), one dose each day, 10 doses constituting one course; the western medicine group with bandazol, Dextran 40, Danshen tablet, and vitamin B12, 10 days constituting one course. After 3 courses, the therapeutic effects were evaluated with criteria of assessment for therapeutic effects. RESULTS: The effective rates in the 3 groups were 73.3%, 40.0% and 33.3%, respectively, with significant differences among the 3 groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has obvious therapeutic effect on nervous tinnitus, and acupuncture at cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) is an effective therapy for nervous tinnitus, and its therapeutic effect is better than those of Chinese herbs and western medicine.

[Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of secondary lymphoid-tissue chemokine (SLC) gene].

Secondary lymphoid-tissue chemokine (SLC) is a type of CC chemokine identified by searching the Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) database. The full-length SLC gene was synthesized based on human SLC sequence using SOE-PCR. The sequenced SLC gene was cloned into expression vector pTMF and pALM, which used to transform Escherichia coli. Then the E. coli was cultured and induced according to protocol. The expressed target protein was identified by Western blotting. The target protein was expressed as soluble protein as well as inclusion bodies, the ratio of these two forms target protein varied with the difference conditions of culture and induction. The target protein was purified with the methods of nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) metal-affinity chromatography. The results of electrophoresis of the purified target protein showed that the molecular weight was larger than the predicted molecular weight.

Soluble expression of recombinant human secondary lymphoid chemokine (SLC) in E. coli and research on its in vitro and in vivo bioactivity.

Secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC) is a CC chemokine that plays an important role in leukocytes homing to lymphoid tissues. The ability of SLC to co-localize both T cells and dendritic cells formed the rationale to evaluate its utility in cancer immunotherapy. The in vivo antitumor effect of murine SLC (mSLC) has been well documented, but little is known about that of human SLC (hSLC). To investigate the antitumor efficiency in vivo of hSLC, the hSLC gene was artificially synthesized and induced to express as a soluble form in Escherichia coli. After purification, the purity of the recombinant human SLC (rhSLC) protein was above 95% by SDS-PAGE analysis. The K(d) of rhSLC binding to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) was 0.2186 +/- 0.02675 microM as assessed by FACS, and the maximal chemotactic index of rhSLC was 9.49 at 100 nM as assessed by in vitro chemotaxis assay. Then genomic sequences of hSLC and mSLC, and of human CCR7 (hCCR7) and murine CCR7 (mCCR7), the receptor for SLC, were aligned. It was found that hSLC and mSLC share 70.72% identity and hCCR7 and mCCR7share 86.77% identity. Furthermore, we found that rhSLC could chemoattract murine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vitro. On the basis of these facts, immune competent mice inoculated with S180 sarcoma cells were chosen as an in vivo model. Intratumoral injections of rhSLC inhibited tumor growth and increased survival. These findings suggest that, despite its incapability to bind to either human or murine CXCR3, which is related to angiostasis, rhSLC can induce an antitumor response in vivo by another route. This report proves that rhSLC has a potent tumor-inhibition ability that makes it a promising candidate agent in cancer immunotherapy.